George Ford is hopeful that his decision to leave Leicester Tigers will lead to more regular rugby next season.

Ford is reportedly on the verge of joining Bath Rugby ahead of next season and he is hopeful that the move away from the Tigers, where he frequently found himself on the bench with Toby Flood starting, will pay dividends. "It is difficult when you are on the bench and you are coming on for 10 or 20 minutes each game. Playing a full 80 minutes is what I need to be doing really," Ford told Press Association Sport. "Like any young player, you need to be playing and the more you play the better you get.

"For any young player who is willing to learn and progress in their career they need to be playing as much as they can. It was one of the toughest decisions I have had to make and I didn't take it lightly. Young players need to be playing to learn and develop. It (my situation) is no different to any young player."

George Ford is hopeful that his decision to leave Leicester Tigers will lead to more regular rugby next season.

Ford is reportedly on the verge of joining Bath Rugby ahead of next season and he is hopeful that the move away from the Tigers, where he frequently found himself on the bench with Toby Flood starting, will pay dividends. "It is difficult when you are on the bench and you are coming on for 10 or 20 minutes each game. Playing a full 80 minutes is what I need to be doing really," Ford told Press Association Sport. "Like any young player, you need to be playing and the more you play the better you get.

"For any young player who is willing to learn and progress in their career they need to be playing as much as they can. It was one of the toughest decisions I have had to make and I didn't take it lightly. Young players need to be playing to learn and develop. It (my situation) is no different to any young player."

As stated previously with 12trees you could understand why he left as he was 23-24 and had been pissed about for a few years by cockhead but Ford has had plenty of opportunities at Tigers (and Flood does get injured) and currently does not deserve to be played in front of Flood.

Ultra-competitive Harlequins flanker Luke Wallace believes he could provide the long-term answer to England’s search for a genuine openside.

And he has put Quins team-mate and current England captain Chris Robshaw on notice that he aims to usurp his place for both club and country.

As debate rages over England’s reluctance to deploy a specialist No.7, Wallace believes a gap in the market is ready to be exploited.

But in order to follow in the footsteps of his hero, New Zealand skipper Richie McCaw, Wallace must make it his business to depose Robshaw.

“It’s tough being behind Chris and my aim isn’t to get him out of the England team, it’s to push him to No.6,” Wallace, 22, told The Rugby Paper.

“No.7 is where I like to play and it’s where I see my future, so Conor (O’Shea, Quins director of rugby) might have to make the first move there.

“But I think he’s open to it and if I’m playing well enough and pushing hard to get in the side, hopefully I can push him to make that decision.”

There is no wavering from Wallace over which position suits him best.

While some back rows will happily switch between positions, the former Haywards Heath junior shows a healthy determination to stand by his chosen trade.

Citing his admiration for McCaw and Australia’s Michael Hooper, Wallace explained: “The way the rules are at the moment I think it’s open for a specialist No.7, someone that’s good on the ground and really looks to keep the ball moving.

“Richie is the obvious one to look at, isn’t he, and I pay close attention to what he and the other No.7s do by going through international games.

“What I’m taking from Richie at the moment is how well he wraps his arms around people in the tackle. He doesn’t miss many and is very solid.

“Our back row at Quins is very competitive and there’s a lot of experience there, but the key is to show that I offer something a bit different.

“That’s been the case for me over the last couple of years and I’ve got to keep showing what I contribute in keeping our ball fast and slowing their ball down is different to what the other boys offer in their carrying capabilities or whatever.”

Tom Varndell got the phone call he had been expecting last week and again he was left out in the cold – but his record-breaking response was a clear message to Stuart Lancaster and he has vowed it will not be the last.

At first there was the familiar feeling of rejection but soon Varndell came to see Lancaster’s phone call on the eve of his EPS announcement in a positive light – after all it brought to an end years of radio silence from the England selectors.

The gist of Lancaster’s message was: close but no cigar. But, after ten tries in 11 Premiership appearances this season to drag Wasps back into the top four, Varndell can count himself unlucky to not even make the Saxons squad.

David Strettle and Chris Ashton are the only out-and-out wingers in the senior squad and have just four Premiership tries between them this term while Saxons quartet Tom Biggs, Charlie Sharples, Ugo Monye and Christian Wade have 13 – six from the latter, Varndell’s partner in crime at Wasps.

And Varndell readily admits his Amlin Challenge Cup hat-trick inside the first 13 minutes against Mogliano – a competition record – was borne out of rage, not that he intends to sulk about his latest snub.

“I was gutted, I’m not going to lie, I was very, very disappointed, I really thought that my form this season was the best of my career and that I had done enough,” said Varndell. “It took about half an hour to get over the initial disappointment and to realise that it was a good thing to get the call from Stuart and for him to tell me that I’m very close to the England set-up.

“There wasn’t anything specific he told me he wanted me to do, just that I’m very close but I know that I need to be consistent, there’s no point doing it every now and then.

“And that’s what I wanted to show against Mogliano. I wanted to prove a point, I was playing angry and I wanted to get the ball in hand and show what I can do and what my strengths are.

“I know that I have to keep doing that. I want to play for England and I haven’t given up on it, it’s as simple as that. I know that there could be injuries between now and the end of the Six Nations and I could get my chance.

“My goal is now to make sure I’m in that squad for the summer tour to Argentina.

“Stuart told me that there’s going to be 40-man squad and I believe I can be a part of it.”

The last of Varndell’s four England caps came in New Zealand in 2008, having made his debut against Samoa in 2005 but it is the two appearances in 2006 in Australia for which he is best, and unfavourably, remembered after butchering two chances in the first Test and having his defensive naiveté exposed by Lote Tuqiri in the second.

In all, Varndell managed three England tries but he has found the reputation of ‘pace to burn but much to learn’, difficult to shake off.

By his own admission, it has taken Varndell longer than most to learn his trade, but he is adamant he is now far from a one-trick pony.

“I admit that when I first starting playing I was a sprinter playing rugby but I have no doubt that I am now a rugby player,” added Varndell, who announced himself in 2004 with a 13-minute hat-trick for Leicester against Worcester.

“And I admit I’ve been quite slow at improving the other aspects of my game but I don’t think I’ve still got the reputation of just a fast finisher.

“I’ve been working very hard on my all-round game and I’ll continue to do so to make sure I keep that level of consistency that’s required for international rugby.”

How is Luke Wallace getting on? heard a lot about him last year.. not so much this year.

Still looking handy?

He's been fine. Played very well in certain games this year. I think the key thing will be if and when they get him into the starting XV at Quins, and whether he has 6 on his back and plays like a 7, or Robbo moves to 6 to accomodate Luke. Rest assured whilst Maurie's around it won't be easy either way.

I think a National Centre is a great addition to the set up. This England set up is fast becoming the best organised I can remember. Since 2003 for sure, but that set of coaches had a team who picked themselves, and whilst Clive did some great work in setting up structures to help planning of opposition and preparation, there was never this kind of foresight.

I never want to see England field a Tim Payne, an Older Mike Tindall and a Jamie f**king Noon ever again.

How is Luke Wallace getting on? heard a lot about him last year.. not so much this year.

Still looking handy?

He's been fine. Played very well in certain games this year. I think the key thing will be if and when they get him into the starting XV at Quins, and whether he has 6 on his back and plays like a 7, or Robbo moves to 6 to accomodate Luke. Rest assured whilst Maurie's around it won't be easy either way.

That's the big one isn't it? If I'm honest, I like Wallace as a player, but I can't see him shifting Maurie anytime soon.